


Pass the Parcel

by vix_spes



Series: Ties of the Heart 'verse [15]
Category: Whitechapel (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 15:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13437789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: Really, Chandler should have known not to underestimate the littlest member of the Miles family.





	Pass the Parcel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slightlytookish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlytookish/gifts).



Joseph Chandler smiled and nodded indulgently as he listened to Elizabeth Miles ramble on about the birthday party that she was going to have. Apparently not only was her whole ballet class invited but all of the girls in her reception class as well and it was going to be a unicorn/fairy/ballet party. He still wasn’t entirely sure what it consisted of, but it seemed like it was mostly tutus, fairy wings, rainbows, an awful lot of glitter and just as much cake; he just kept making appropriate noises and nodding in – hopefully – the right places.

It was a Friday night. Once upon a time, that would have meant that Chandler would still be in the office working his way through paperwork. Maybe, once in a blue moon, he would have been invited – and accepted – to Commander Anderson’s for dinner. That didn’t happen anymore, not since Chandler had disobeyed him a few too many times but Joe didn’t mind. After all, he now had a better option when it came to Friday evenings; he now had a standing date with Elizabeth Miles and her brothers. After the success that he had had the first few times that he had babysat, Ray and Judy had decided to take advantage and copy Meg and her husband in making Friday night their date night. Joe had no objections; despite his initial nerves, the Miles children were always well-behaved, and he enjoyed spending time with them.

That didn’t mean that he always understood them. Take Elizabeth and all of this chatter about her birthday party, for example. Chandler was 99.9% certain that it wasn’t Elizabeth’s birthday for another nine weeks but, the way that Elizabeth was chattering away, anyone would think that it was simply a matter of days. He knew that forward planning was essential these days, what with the amount of extra-curricular events that children did these, but there was forward planning and then there was something that was just, quite frankly, excessive. Still, it did at least remind him that he needed to find a suitable present … or ask Judy for a list of suggestions.

“Hmm?” Chandler looked down as he felt a tiny hand jab into his ribs. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. What did you say?”

Elizabeth let out a huff that, privately, Joe found utterly adorable. “Uncle Joe! When’s it your birthday?”

The question, somewhat out of the blue, took him by surprise. “What? My birthday? Oh, um, well it’s next week.”

“Next week?! When?”

The pitch of Elizabeth’s voice had Chandler’s ears ringing. He’d never realised that it was actually possible for humans to reach those levels but apparently it was. Resisting the strong urge to wince, he smiled at Elizabeth although he was relatively certain it looked a little strained. “Next Sunday, Elizabeth.”

“Are you having a party? Is daddy going? Can I come?”

Chandler hated having to disappoint her, but he had never lied to her and he didn’t intend to start now. “No, I’m not having a party. I’m a little bit too old for a party.”

“Don’t be silly Uncle Joe; you’re never too old to for a birthday party.”

Chandler had the definite feeling that he was being patronised but then the opening music of Frozen rang out for the millionth time and he was being summarily ignored. With any luck, the subject of his birthday would be ignored but Chandler wasn’t convinced that things could slot into place that easily.

~*~

The following Sunday – his birthday – Chandler pulled up at the Miles family home with no little trepidation. He’d spent the whole week wondering if Elizabeth had indeed forgotten the conversation about his birthday, terrified that he was going to be cornered. So far, it looked all good; there wasn’t a suspicious number of cars parked on the street and, fingers crossed, he wasn’t going to be anything sprung on him. It might be his birthday, but he didn’t really see any point in doing anything special. He’d had an awkward phone call from Commander Anderson sending birthday greetings but, otherwise, his birthday had gone completely unnoticed. All he wanted was to enjoy the traditional weekly dinner with the Miles’, have a couple of drinks with Ray and the fish before returning home.

Everything still looked good when Ray answered the door and he got the usual enthusiastic greeting from Elizabeth who ran in and hugged his legs before running off again, while the boys shouted their greeting from their position in front of the TV and whatever computer game they were playing. He moved through to the kitchen in order to greet Judy, seeing his favourites cooking away but no sign of anything more than that. He smiled as he was given a kiss to the cheek, along with a quiet “Happy Birthday, Joe love.”

Slanting his eyes over the cooking food, he smiled ruefully at the woman whose family had come to mean so much to him. “You didn’t have to go to all of this trouble for me, Judy.”

“Of course I did, you stupid sod. It’s your birthday, we weren’t going to ignore it. And, even if we considered it, do you honestly think Elizabeth would let us? I’m not letting you completely off the hook though; would you go and lay the table for me?”

Relieved that he was being treated as though it were any other Sunday and more than familiar with the layout of the kitchen, Chandler went to collect the necessary crockery and cutlery before moving to the dining room. There was a slight moment of confusion when he saw that the lights weren’t on, but he just toed the door open, taking a couple of attempts at turning on the light-switch with his shoulder before footsteps behind him heralded Judy’s arrival.

The instant that the room flooded with light, there was a chorus of “Happy Birthday!” and it was only due to quick reflexes that Judy’s crockery didn’t end up on the floor. Chandler looked around at his entire team – and their families – in bewilderment.

“But ... where did you park?”

“Only you would ask that. They’re hidden down side streets, so you didn’t run away without getting out of the car.” Miles’ teasing was audible in his voice as he wrapped Chandler in a bear hug. “Happy birthday, Joe.”

“But, but … I don’t celebrate my birthday. I haven’t for years.”

“Yes, well. You also managed to tell my daughter your birthday and, considering how much Lizzie adores you, there was no way that it was going to be ignored.” Miles nudged Chandler gently in the ribs. “Just be grateful that we talked her out of the need for pass the parcel. Although there is cake.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on DW, you can do so [here](https://vix-spes.dreamwidth.org/294778.html)
> 
> If you'd like the share the post on Tumblr, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.tumblr.com/post/169955658890/pass-the-parcel-vixspes-whitechapel-tv)


End file.
